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Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Homey and healing chicken noodle soup, made with a homemade stock from a whole chicken and fresh veggies.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I was feeling a bit under the weather this weekend so I decided to put on a pot of chicken noodle soup. Funny thing about this stuff ... I can get a pot going, leave it warming on the stove along side a pot of cooked egg noodles, snatch a cup of it several times throughout the day and feel all better before nightfall. Often referred to as "Jewish Penicillin" for its known powers of healing, it really does work and that's not just an old wives tale either!

Not only do the steam and warmth of the soup help with nasal congestion, but the chicken itself and all of the seasonings typically used - garlic, onion, & ginger to name a few - are known to have certain anti-inflammatory properties that appear to offer some real respiratory benefits too, according to a University of Nebraska Medical Center study.

Plus, I don't care who ya are... it's just a darned good comfort food for when you aren't feeling well.

Make it even easier using leftover roasted or cooked chicken. Somewhere between 2 to 4 cups of chopped up chicken is good but do use both white and dark meat. I would avoid using only boneless, skinless chicken breast along though, because it has a tendency to get overly dry and quite tasteless. A whole hen or chicken is the best bet for homemade. To make it creamy, add in a homemade blonde roux or 1 to 2 cans of cream of chicken soup.

Now, if only I could convince my husband that he can make it too and then serve me. On a tray. In bed. While I don't have to worry over anything but where the remote is.

Cut up chicken coarsely, splitting back and breasts. Place the cut up chicken in a tall stockpot, add the water or chicken stock only to cover chicken plus about an inch. Cover pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat, remove the lid and simmer uncovered, skimming off any foam that accumulates. When foam subsides, add the salt, celery, carrot, onion, and bay leaf. Cook, uncovered, at a steady, slow simmer for about 2 hours.

Strain, but reserve the broth. Discard the vegetables. Put the broth back into the stockpot and set the chicken aside to cool. To the stock, add in the chicken base, garlic, celery, carrot, parsnip, onion and ginger. Sprinkle in thyme and pepper. Allow to low simmer until vegetables are tender.

When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken. Tear the chicken into bite size pieces and add back to broth. Add the peas and corn, and any additional veggies you like; add parsley and simmer until tender. I prefer to cook the noodles or rice separate from the soup itself so that the noodles do not absorb most of the soup broth.

Spoon cooked noodles or rice into a serving bowl and ladle the soup on top. Sprinkle each serving with a bit of additional parsley.

Cook's Notes: You can use a variety of chicken parts that you've saved up for this (wings, backs, etc.), however, you'll want some additional chicken to add to the soup since the parts have done their job! Throw a few chicken thighs in the pot along with the parts - they give off a great flavor to the soup. Avoid boneless, skinless chicken breast however, as it lacks flavor and tends to overcook and be too dry. Save those for a shortcut version. The chicken base is optional if you're making homemade stock, but I like the richness that it gives to soup. If you use the base, you will not likely need to add any additional salt to the soup. If you don't use the base, you may need to salt. Either way, be sure to taste it before adding salt.

Shortcut it! Omit the homemade stock and substitute a combination of water and commercial chicken stock or broth to equal 8 cups. I recommend Kitchen Basics stock, but also adding the chicken base. Proceed with the recipe as above, simmering the vegetables first and then adding in 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken. A deli roasted chicken stands in well, however, take into account the salt when you are not preparing the chicken yourself.

Tip: If you are making this ahead and have time, you may also let the broth cool and refrigerate. Once well chilled, the fat will rise to the surface and harden and you can easily scoop it off. Freezes great, but do not freeze with the noodles! Just make fresh noodles when you reheat it.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Variation: To make a creamy version, prepare a skillet of blonde roux of 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of flour. Cook and stir that for 3 minutes, then slowly add in several ladles of the broth from the soup, until it forms a gravy. Transfer to the soup pot. May also add in 1 or 2 cans of cream of chicken soup near the end of cooking. Stir in until blended well and heated through, then add in the chicken, peas, corn and parsley to the pot.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

36 comments:

Yes, it works, I have made it lots of times for other people plus myself. Yummy too. Thanks for reminding me to make a pot of it. The weather is getting more like fall which is great for soups. Antique Rose

Mary, this is my trick that makes a wonderful and richly chickeny broth------I cook chicken in my electric pressure cooker with a spoon of Better Than Boullion. In just a few minutes I get this incredibly flavored broth. And I go from there. I can't believe what good broth that makes. A real treasure.

I have one of those too & have been doing that lately myself! It isn't quite the same as slow stewing on the stovetop but it really does make an excellent (and super easy) broth and soup doesn't it? I just got that Power PC XL cooker and although I think it's gonna take some getting used to because of the preprogrammed buttons, I'm anxious to give it a spin.

Oh Tammy, I did do the Progresso route on Saturday & I actually do love their soups, but it's just not the same. Actually it's not really that much work - it throws together pretty quick and the rest is just simmering.

Mary, I now know who to contact for some soothing chicken soup whenever I get sick or feeling a little under the weather! I've never, ever made home-made chicken soup....made homemade tortellini in chicken broth, but not home-made chicken soup! How special and full of LOVE this soup must be! Blessings, Roz

i am on high blood pressure pills - and my brother has educated me to know that 'just opening a can of,,,; any canned soup contains high levels of sodium: fast and easy way to having high blood pressure. i am now re-learning how-to cook, reminding myself that i was healthy eating garden-to-table living with my Grandparents as a child/teen. thank you for the recipes!

Home cooking is always the best of course - you can control the ingredients - but fortunately, there are some soups, and other canned products, that are lower sodium these days, but yes I don't know if I've become more sensitive to it, but I sure do taste the higher salt levels in many canned & packaged foods!

Chicken noodle soup is so easy and SO good. It's a shame more folks don't make it. I have a "quickie" recipe that I should share with you, but I'll bet you already do it lol.

Anyway, my daughter LOVES Campbell's cream of chicken soup (I do too lol). I also looked at your chicken pot pie soup recipe. Do you think it would be similar if I used the blonde roux above AND some of the cream like you add to your chicken pot pie soup, or just do one or the other?

I love your idea of sipping all day from a pot kept heating on the stovetop, with a pot of cooked noodles next to it, but how do you keep your noodles from "over" cooking, Don't they turn to mush? Can't wait to try your recipe adding the base and the ginger sounds so yummy.

I like your analogy of chicken noodle soup as being "Jewish Penicillin”. That is so true. It was the first soup that I learned how to cook. Both my mom and grandmother made pretty good chicken noodle soup. Unfortunately neither of them cooked the noodles separately. I learned that by experimentation in my teens. Mom made several attempts at making matzo ball soup. They didn’t end well. Suffice it to say, if they were just a tad smaller, they’d have worked very nicely in my old Springfield Musket.God bless.

I can't take credit for that analogy Chris - chicken soup has been referred to as that way before me. I think everybody ought to learn how to make it from scratch! I've never tried adding matzo balls but I'd probably have the same experience lol!!

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